Bella and the Vampires
by VallieValVal
Summary: Bella grew up in Italy with the Volturi, so she knows vampires exist. She decides to visit her father, Charlie, in Forks one more time before the inevitable happens - she is changed. But what, or who, will she find while there?
1. Prologue

**Today, July 18****th**** 2010, is my one year anniversary on FF :). Celebrating by typing up a new story idea *rolls eyes*. It's also by birthday :D**

**I really should stop creating new stories. Can't help it though.**

**Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyer owns everything. I own five used tickets to see Eclipse.**

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"You're a little weird..."

_Ugh. Story of my life._

I did my best to smile at the little girl sitting next to me in the plane, and turned around as politely as I could to stare out the window, effectively shutting off the discussion.

Thanks to the short attention span of eight year olds, she quickly turned to her dad and asked for another set of colouring pencils.

Thank God. There was not one minute of my life where I wasn't reminded of the complicated situation I was in. I partly blame it on Renee. Had she not been so flighty, compelled with changing her mind every five minutes, I would have not got in the situation I was currently in.

When I was barely a year old, mother dearest decided she didn't want to live in the stuck up miserable town of Forks for the rest of her life, and took me to Phoenix without notice to my father – who came home that evening to an empty house, devoid of wife, kid, and half the furniture. A quick divorce followed, and I had barely started school when Renee decided there was more sun in Los Angeles.

I spent five years of my awkward life there, not fitting into the stereotype that was accepted in the city. I wasn't tan, or an athlete, thin as a stick, or have siblings, have two parents, or rich, no famous relatives, no condo by the beach or on the hills, and had no family in the state of California. I spent most of my time by myself. Renee was out enjoying life, jumping off mountains one day and diving with dolphins the next, while I was stuck doing my homework with the babysitter.

Just before my tenth birthday, Renee came home one evening, bawling her eyes because Ross, her most recent boyfriend, had broken up with her. The babysitter was quickly ushered out and before I knew it, the moving vans had arrived and tickets to Florence, Italy were shoved into my hands. Renee had decided that moving to another state wasn't enough, but moving half the world round would suffice.

Arriving in Italy was beautiful, surrounded by the picturesque landscape that was only seen in magazines and travel guides, so it was easy to understand the appeal. A year of renting villas around Tuscany later, we were both near fluent in the local language, and Renee had finally purchased a house using her divorce settlements' money.

One sunny day, when I was an innocent fourteen and being dragged along the streets of Volterra souvenir shopping, we entered an antique store on a desolate street. I was ordered not to touch anything and stayed by the door while Renee inspected the 14th century priceless pieces when suddenly a commotion started outside the shop. Through the dirty glass windows I could see a fight going on in high speed, which mesmerised me. It seemed I could almost see the trails of their motions as they threw punches too fast for humans.

One of the men picked up the other one and threw him through the shop window, his body landing near a shocked Renee. Before I knew it, he was on top of her, sucking at her neck, and draining all life out of her. I barely chocked up on a scream before it was all over.

The rogue vampire killed the shop's owner and turned on me, but men in black cloaks rushed in to grab him before he could touch me.

The cloaked men started ripping the body apart, throwing the limbs all around the store, while I stood wide eyed in a corner, silently terrified. The shock of the situation meant my body had frozen on me.

Soon, they had started a fire, and purple smoke was rising from the flames.

"I'll deal with her," one of the men said referring to me, dismissing the others with a wave of his gloved hand.

"No." A voice rang out.

A dark haired man had leant towards me.

"Leave the girl alone," he said.

They took me back to their castle after I fainted – they told me later. Aro, the one who had saved me, told me later of what they were, and explained the loss of my mother. They were all surprisingly compassionate, given they had told me they were vampires.

They had tried to wipe my memory of the incident, by using Aro, and Jane, then Alec, but none of their talents worked on me. Aro smiled at the end and clapped his hands together, telling me they were "just going to have to keep me".

The other vampires of the castle weren't happy with the idea, but Aro seemed quite pleased with himself as he took me to one of the upper rooms of the castle and sat me down. He told me they would not kill me as long as I kept my mouth shut about everything. That was enough to shock me into silence for a couple of days.

Sulpicia, Aro's wife, was very kind to me and regularly gave me what she referred to as baby food, and slowly introduced me to their way of life. I inquired about what happened to all my things and my mother's house, and all Aro said was that he had sold everything and put the money into an account for me to have later on.

I took me some time till I came around to the idea that I was in fact stuck with vampires as my family. It didn't offer easy sleeping, and I still had nightmares regularly for the first few months. Jane was the first of the guard to become my friend, and she became the sister I never had. We often took off on long vacations together to various European locations, and she bought me gifts whenever she could.

I was quite aware of the diet that the vampires adhered to, but I talked myself out of being disgusted by them by thinking that they had no other choice. Needless to say, I definitely didn't talk to humans outside the castle anymore unless I had to, afraid they would've been lunch by the same time tomorrow.

I became very interested in the arts and history, since most of the educational material that was taught to me was centred on that. Felix taught me sports, Alec loved teaching me psychology, Sulpicia educated me in the discipline of fashion design, Marcus showed me all the art around the city, Caius about the government and vampire laws, Demetri enlightened me in the sciences, and Santiago taught me the maths skills I would need to know.

They were like the family I never had.

At seventeen though, I demanded to see my father one more time before the inevitable happened – they would turn me into one of them.

Well – it was either that or be killed, permanently.

And that's what brought me on the plane to Seattle.

I imagined the look on the little girls face next to me if I told her I hung out with vampires.

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**I have a few chapters of this story written so far, so hopefully I will be updating soon!**

**Please, please, please review. If you are a writer on this site, you know how important and heart-warming it is to receive a review. I will reply to each one of them.**


	2. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyer owns everything. **

**I decided to take some time out from my study and update! Happy? :D**

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I took out the expensive iPhone Jane had purchased for me as a going-away present and fiddled with it as I waited for my bags to arrive on the conveyer belt.

I saw the bright red leather suitcases as soon as they appeared around the corner, standing out like a sore thumb along the masses of cheap black cases. I tried to hide behind my Prada sunglasses as I grabbed them.

I cleared customs quickly, not having brought much with me for the trip as most of it was being couriered my way.

"Ms. Swan! Bella Swan!" A voice chanted in the crowd of people awaiting the flight in the arrivals hall. Renee never took the time to change my last name from her married one after the divorce. I saw a sign with my name on it in the hands of a well dressed middle-aged man, who was currently waving me over. Santiago had told me someone would be here to pick me up.

I cringed as he told me he had a limo waiting outside, and once I saw the size of the thing I wished I hadn't even thought about coming over here. I tried my best not to imagine everyone in Forks as they saw this thing gliding down the road.

I hadn't seen Charlie much since the Renee escaped with me all those years ago, just once staying with him during the summer while Renee had a 104 day world cruise vacation, not long before we moved to Italy.

Staring at the green landscape outside soon got boring, but seven Sudoku games later the driver joyfully announced we would be in Forks soon, so I gave up on the hard-level eighth game and stared out the tinted windows as I saw the familiar reaches of Forks approach.

I damned Santiago to the deepest pits of hell when I remembered that Charlie's house was across the other side of town from which we would be entering, and the boasting driver showed off his limo to the upmost as he slowly drove though the centre of town.

The limo stopped outside Charlie's small but familiar white two-bedroom house, and my door was quickly opened the over enthusiastic driver – Barry, as is name tag said. I retrieved my bags from the back and declined any help from Barry, thanking him for the service and tipping him. That's when Charlie came out of the house.

He looked older than how I remembered him, crinkles and lines surrounding his eyes and mouth, his hair thinning and greying a little. I suddenly felt glad I had the opportunity to live with him for the remainder of my high school years.

"Hey Bells!" He enthused, relived to see me as he wrapped me in a hug.

"Are you all right? How was the journey over?" He appraised the limo as he asked, but it was nice to know he worried about his child as much as if he had raised me my whole life rather than just a year.

"Um... good, I guess." I looked around at where I would be staying.

Charlie brought his hand up to the back of his neck. "I'm... ah... sorry about Re– your mother, I mean."

I looked down and shuffled my feet, digging a small hole in the ground. "Uh... thanks, Dad."

Everyone here thought that Renee had died in a car accident a few weeks ago, and that I had been in hospital recovering from my injuries before I was shipped off to my next of kin.

"Let's get your stuff inside, then." Charlie suggested, and I was escorted to my childhood room.

Over dinner, Charlie kindly reminded me that he had signed me up for school, but if I didn't feel up to it, I didn't have to go till next week.

I didn't want to inconvenience him, so I opted for going to school the next day. I never got affected by jetlag. And I might as well get the first day over with.

I called Santiago that evening, kindly letting him know he was getting hell from me when I saw him next, and that yes, I had arrived safely, thank you very much. I quickly spoke to Jane, who whined about coming over to keep me company in this "lonely shit of a town".

I declined her offer and said a quick hello to everyone else before hanging up. I looked around my childhood room, which included an old timber study desk with a bulky white computer on top, and a pine closet to the left of the bed. Charlie had picked out the bedding – purple flowers – and put a few photos on the bedside table, mainly of Renee, himself and me. This saddened me, as it seemed like Charlie would never get over Renee.

I unpacked some of my clothes to keep them from crinkling anymore and hung them up – colour coordinated and all. I could feel the pull of sleep coming from my long journey over from Italy, and only just stumbled into bed before dreams of the next day began.

I quickly learned the morning routine in Charlie's house. He would take a sachet of instant coffee and deftly cut the top off, pouring exactly half of the packets contents into his "morning" mug. While the morning news was on in the family room he would wait silently for the water to finish boiling, stirring it into the mug in a clockwise direction when done. When there was enough water in the mug, he would add the rest of the packets contents and stir till mixed, before adding a cap of milk and sitting in front of the TV, sipping his coffee while watching the weather report for the day.

Ten minutes later he left for the diner, asking me if I wanted to join him for breakfast. I declined by holding my bowl of expired cereal and stale milk in the air in front of me.

In some ways I liked the silence for once, as I was usually surrounded by at least ten people in the castle at Volterra. For the first time, I had complete privacy. I sighed contently at the thought.

Yesterday Charlie had shown me the red monster of a truck he had bought me as a homecoming present. It was just the kind of car I needed after learning to drive in the speed machines that Lamborghinis and Ferraris were. I briefly thought of sending Jane a picture and telling her that this is the car I really wanted for my birthday.

The drive to school was short but anxious, as I hadn't attended a school in years. I had never experienced high school, and from the horror stories I usually read in American teenage novels, I didn't feel like I even wanted to experience it. My previous schools in both Los Angeles and Phoenix hadn't been particularly welcoming.

I pulled up outside a brick building which claimed to be the school office, and was greeted warmly by an overweight but cheerful lady at the front desk, who immediately identified me as Isabella Swan without my input. When I enquired about how she knew this, she responded that Charlie had told her. I cringed at the closeness the people in this town had.

My welcome package consisted of a timetable, a map, and the regulations and rules that the school ran by. I saved those for later in the day, while I quickly studied the map in the warmth of my car. I wouldn't be seen as someone who needed a map to get around a series of buildings. Besides, I had a good sense of direction.

I drove onto the main student parking lot and shut off the engine once I parked next to a shiny silver Volvo, one of the most conspicuous cars on the lot.

Students everywhere looked at me curiously as if I was some science experiment as I walked down the pathway to building two, where my locker was supposed to be. I kept my head down and my hood up as I made my way in between the swarms of people, avoiding very nearly tripping over someone's foot.

My locker was clean except for a "Support the Legalise Marijuana Party" sticker on the inside of it.

"Hey! You're Bella Swan, right?"

I turned quickly and saw a short Korean guy enthusiastically staring at me, waiting for my answer.

"Yes, Hi. Um, nice to meet you..."

"Eric." He said, shaking my hand.

"Hi, Eric."

"So what's your first class?"

I looked down at my timetable quickly, but I had already memorised it. I didn't want to seem like a freak.

"Um... Government, with Jefferson." I chuckled internally at the ironic name.

"Oh, me too." He smiled kindly.

I waited for him to say goodbye and walk away to his class, but he waited diligently for me while I fumbled with my locker, walking by my side as I headed for building three.

"So, where are you from?" He asked, striking up small talk.

"Um, I was born here but my mum took me south when I was really young, so I don't remember much. But I just transferred in from Italy."

He looked astonished at this fact. "Wow, so you can speak Italian and everything?"

I nodded at his obvious question.

"That's pretty cool."

"Yeah."

That was the end of the conversation, and we hung up our coats at the front of the class. He bade goodbye to me as he left to sit next to a pretty brown-haired girl with glasses, leaving me to give a bright yellow slip to the teacher up the front of the room.

The first hour of school passed rather quickly, and I found myself rather intrigued with how the high school worked. I was interested in the subjects they were teaching me, since they differed from what was taught back in Italy. The classes and teachers were genuinely interesting, and in the first hour I had already learned a lot about US history.

I had Calculus second, and third and fourth period passed soon enough. During English I was seated next to the brown haired girl with glasses I had seen in Government, and I found out her name was Angela. She seemed nice and genuinely intrigued in Italy, even expressing interest in travelling to the country after she was done with her schooling. She told me where in the cafeteria her group of friend usually sat and asked me if I would like to sit with them.

I found myself waiting in the line for food, only buying a bottle of water, an apple and yoghurt, as I didn't feel like eating much. I still had first day nerves, but they were getting better as the day progressed.

The table Angela was seated at was one of the more crowded ones in the Cafeteria. She had kindly saved me a seat next to her and introduced me to all of her friends when I sat down, which included Eric from earlier this morning.

I mainly listened to the banter going on between the friends, taking small bites from my apple occasionally. I found myself looking around the dreary white room, taking in the cracks in the wall and the other groups of people when I saw them.

The familiar pale skin, the straight backs, the unnaturally beautiful features, the silence, and the unnecessary breathing is what drew me to the five people sitting at the one table isolated at the edge of the room – the furthest away from the bright windows.

Someone giggled in my ear, and I turned to see one of Angela's friends smile at me.

"They're attractive, aren't they?"

I smiled sympathetically at her and turned back to my tray of food, but she continued on anyway.

"The Cullen's. They moved here a couple of years ago from somewhere in Alaska. They're adopted by Dr. and Mrs. Cullen. See how they look like they're not related at all?"

I turned and looked at their table again – this time they were all turned in different directions but still managing to not look at any human in the cafeteria. I wondered how they were keeping their bloodlust at bay as Angela's friend kept pattering on.

"The big guy, he's Emmett, and that's his girlfriend Rosalie, the blond one. The one next to her is her twin, Jasper, who looks like he's in pain. That's his girlfriend, Alice. And the cute one's Edward."

I smirked at her as she swooned unknowingly, her eyes lingering on the last boy she mentioned.

"Jess!" Someone shouted behind her, and she quickly snapped out of her trance and joined in the conversation, leaving me to gaze upon the vampires in front of me.

I didn't even think before I whispered what could have been the most dangerous mistake of my life.

"I know you can hear me."

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**Sooo... thoughts? Feelings? It would really encourage me to update sooner if I had more reviews!**


	3. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyer is a lucky woman, who owns Edward, Emmett, Jasper, and every other guy (and for that matter, girl) in the Twilight Series. Damn.**

**I now have many, many free days because of a wee (7.1 on the Richter Scale) earthquake you may have heard of on the news? The one in New Zealand... yeah... still having aftershocks. Only a couple of things broke, thank God. **

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I waited in confusion, trepidation, and suspicion as I stared at the five vampires sitting there, not moving, not batting an eyelash. Maybe they hadn't heard me after all, but I just _knew_ they were vampires. They'd have to have heard me, and this got me suspicious. Why didn't they acknowledge me?

Fear came setting in, and even though I knew that the vampires in front of me would probably like to remain inconspicuous, I really hoped they wouldn't find me after school was done to finish me off.

The small pixie girl, Alice, stood up with her tray of untouched food and put it on a pile near the cafeteria before taking off into the hallway. I narrowed my eyes and wondered why they even bought food in the first place, since they didn't need it.

Lunch didn't last long after that, and I slipped away from the table with a whispered goodbye to Angela. I got my Biology and Gym equipment from my locker and headed to building six, absentmindedly thinking about the group of vampires – the Cullen's. I briefly considered about heading to somewhere public for the rest of the afternoon till I knew Charlie was home, just in case, but that train of thought stopped as I entered a full Biology classroom and saw the only seat was next to Edward, "the cute one" Cullen.

I must have looked stupid with my mouth hanging open, standing in front of the class for who knows how long. A hand on my shoulder shook me from my daze and I stared up at a greying gentleman – Mr Banner I presumed.

"Isabella Swan?" he asked, smiling gently towards me.

"Yes, um... here, sir," I fumbled around in my pockets for the right slip of paper, which I eventually found and handed over.

"Well, we only have one seat left, next to young Mr. Cullen here," he walked towards the desk and slapped it. "I think you two will get along just fine. I heard from Mrs. Cope that you were in advanced classes in Italy?"

I prayed he would shut up, as the entire class was listening to the conversation.

I sat down in my assigned seat and looked back up at Mr Banner, smiling at him quickly to show I was fine. He went back to the front of the class and began drawing on the whiteboard, and I took this as an opportunity to look at the strange boy sitting next to me.

He looked even paler from this angle, his face encompassing angled features, which just confirmed that there were in fact vampires in Forks, Washington. Why hadn't Aro warned me of this?

His nostrils flared and he stiffened, but this I expected. I had wondered how he could keep his bloodlust at rest with so many humans around him.

He looked at me and I saw familiar black eyes that I was used to back in Volterra... but was that hints of gold rings in there? I saw none of the crimson that vampires were supposed to have... who was this guy? Were there such things as half-vampires?

Biology was awkward, Edward not saying a word to me, and if I was correct, not breathing, either. I debated asking him if he was all-right, but decided against it. It would only make him more volatile.

Sixth period Gym had me sitting on the bleachers looking through a workbook of exercises. I saw quite a few people that had sat with Angela at lunch, and they even took time out from their volleyball game to talk to me a bit more. I was grateful by their kindness toward me, but annoyed at their attention. All I wanted right now was to blend into the school like I'd always been here.

When the bell rang, the class dissipated into the changing rooms and I gathered my bags calmly and walked out to the car park. Of course, that's where _they_ were all standing.

Alice and Jasper were off to the side, talking quietly amongst themselves, but looking worried. Rosalie, the statuesque blonde, was glaring at me, hatred clear in her golden eyes. Emmett was smirking at Edward, who was staring at me, his eyes narrowed and his head cocked to one side.

I must have been the only human to ever stare at them so long. For about a minute, from walking to the exit at the gym to walking to my car parked diligently next to theirs, I was looking between each of them. They seemed to tense as I got within a few metres of them, and I was pretty sure I heard a whispered, "see", when I opened my door.

With one last look at them, I started the engine, leaving them congregated around the car.

I quickly went into the local Thriftway to buy some basic food that Charlie's house desperately needed. I genuinely debated going to the library just to make sure that _they_ weren't going to kill me, but I told myself to stop being so silly.

After a dinner of steak and potatoes, which Charlie enjoyed thoroughly, I finished some of my homework and fell asleep reading about the misadventures of Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Darcy.

The next day at school was much the same as the last. The first four periods passed quickly, and lunch didn't offer much new. Angela's friends, who I was slowly starting to learn the names of, continued their banter while I inconspicuously stared at the Cullen's. Of course, trying to inconspicuously stare at vampires doesn't work. They were most likely highly aware of my gaze on them. No slip up's happened, and I watched with amazement as they once again sat still for an hour in a room full of humans.

Edward stood up to leave, and I knew he was heading to Biology next. Should I go join him? Would a human dare walk next to Edward Cullen, a vampire? What would his reaction be if I walked next to him and striked conversation? My heart pulled one way while my rational head kept me sitting down. Before I knew it, he was already out of the room, and the opportunity passed.

I would talk to them _one_ day, I decided.

I made my way somewhat sombrely to Biology, and when I entered the room a quick look confirmed Edward was really there. I hung my coat up on the hook and pulled up the chair next to him, bravely deciding to say "hello" to him.

He looked shocked by my greeting. Before both of us had time to do anything about it, a microscope was slammed down on the desk rather forcefully, followed by Eric handing out worksheets about the days' activity.

When our desk was re-arranged he got to work quietly, getting one of the slides from the container and putting it under the microscope.

"Anaphase," he muttered, reaching to take the slide out after a too-quick observation.

"May I have a look?" I countered.

His face held a shocked expression for the tiniest fraction of a second before he composed it into a decent friendly expression.

"Sure," he muttered pushing the microscope towards me on the table and giving the slide to me.

When I took it from him, I deliberately brushed his skin. When he flinched back, I smiled at the familiar coldness and hardness of it, confirming again that he was in fact, a vampire.

I got back to the task at hand, and confirmed his earlier suspicion.

"Anaphase." I nodded. "Slide two?"

He grabbed the slide for me and made sure I didn't touch any of his skin when I took it from him this time.

"Prophase," I said after a quick assessment.

When I looked up, his mouth was open and and his eyes contained a strange expression I had never come across before. This expression quickly changed to a gentle, kind expression as he had a quick look in the microscope.

The period continued much this way, Edward making too many slip-ups in his facade that Aro would never allow. Perhaps I was trained to spot these errors though.

Edward said a quick goodbye when the bell rang and walked – almost ran – out of the classroom. I looked on in suspicion.

Gym passed with my mind still back in Biology – Coach Clapp still not having found a uniform for me.

I put in my iPhone's head phones as I made my way out of the Gym towards my car alone. I could see a tradition in the making.

Swimming in the amazing Italian voice of Andrea Bocelli, I walked around the shiny Volvo parked next to my Chevy, the Cullen's for once not congregated around their car. In fact, there was almost no one outside at the moment. I briefly wondered if I had imagined the bell. The song was reaching its climax when I was looking for my car keys, and not finding them on first inspection I put my bag on the back of the truck to look thoroughly through everything again.

I heard the squealing of car tyres rubbing the wrong way against the ground and automatically looked up at the noise, seeing a black van swerving on the ice still present on the ground from this morning. I was frozen as I saw it sliding towards my car – straight towards me.

With the music playing in my ears coming to the chorus of the song, something hit me, hard. But not from the direction I was expecting. I fell to the icy ground hard, bumping my head hard on the rear of the fender of another car. My legs hit the ground last, and they bounced off the icy hardness a couple of times before lying still. I felt a warm trickling start down my face as I looked up at what had happened, music still playing in my ears.

Edward was lying practically on top of me, looking as shell-shocked as I assumed I was. His breathing got heavier as he looked at my forehead, and I remembered the trickle of blood that must have been going down my face. My eyes widened at the thought of what would happen next.

I regained the use of my hands and probed my head, finding the gash quickly.

"Ow." I said pathetically.

Edward spasmed once and looked at me with an expression that I had seen before in Volterra when my clumsiness got me in similar blood shedding situations.

I covered the gash as much as I could and struggled to get up, my eyes widening in fear at his blackening eyes, my heart rate increasing as if it wanted the blood to flow faster out of my head wound.

I could see the conflict in his eyes – should he risk his cover and feed on me in public, should he use all the effort he has to get off me and leave the pathetic human where she is?

Emmett solved the problem for both of us.

He arrived suddenly and pulled Edward off me, a snarl emitting from his throat. I cowered into the car, my head pounding from the impact. I felt like I was going to be sick as I looked up at two vampires towering above me.

"Doofus," Emmett muttered, surprisingly to me. He pulled a phone from his pocket and held it up to his ear, talking quickly into it.

I wave of pain overcame me and I whimpered, holding my hand tighter against my scalp. I scrunched my eyes up, but this didn't help.

I didn't really remember what happened over the next several hours. There was monumental milestones, such as getting strapped into a gurney and put in an ambulance, being told to breathe in slowly and not fight the mask being put over my face, and then waking up to a worried Charlie.

My eyes widened. "What are you doing here!"

Charlie looked over at me quickly, not seeing I had woken up. "Bella! God, you scared me. Don't do that again!" He hugged me around my middle, taking care not to touch me above my neck.

"What happened?" I asked groggily. Had all that really happened? Had Edward nearly been tempted to drink all my blood? Or was it my stupid imagination playing with me once again?

"Apparently a car crashed into you, Bells. God, what was I thinking! I should have–"

"Dad, dad!" I shouted, cringing a little as my own voice echoed in my head. "I'm fine, see." I tried my best to smile.

"No, you're not! You got practically run over by a car! You had to be sedated because they thought you had brain haemorrhaging!"

"Wait, what?"

Charlie calmed a bit as he explained. "They had to do a whole CAT scan on you, Bells. Thank God you didn't have any internal bleeding, just a big gash in your forehead. Could have been much worse." He reassured himself.

At that moment, the doors opened and I leaned to my side to look at who entered. A doctor who couldn't have been more than 25, with golden locks and ice pale skin. My eyes narrowed as the doctor stopped at my bedside and I saw his nametag had "Dr. Carlisle Cullen" printed on it. Somehow, the name seemed familiar.

"Nice to see you're awake, Miss Swan." He greeted me as he took a look at the charts. I smiled back at him when he looked my way.

"Everything seems to be all right," he reassured both me and Charlie, "you should be able to go home now, although I advice you, "he turned to Charlie, "to wake her up every two to three hours to make sure she doesn't get a concussion." Charlie's eyes widened at this, but I was used to the advice. I'd had more than enough run-ins with walls and glass doors in my life.

The good doctor insisted that I needed a wheelchair out, and I couldn't persuade him otherwise – not with Charlie thoroughly agreeing with him. I was mortified as I got wheeled straight through the waiting room and surrounded by worried school-mates, most of which I didn't know anyway.

Charlie was surprisingly caring as he lifted me into the car – totally unnecessary – and then supported me up the stairs to my room, even offering to dig up an old electric blanket should I feel cold enough to need it. I declined and said I was fine, wishing to be in peace so I could figure out the mess that Forks was.

I could faintly hear a baseball game progressing on the TV downstairs, and satisfied that Charlie was no longer fussing about me I could finally relax. I started thinking about the Cullen's and their control of their bloodlust. They were almost as good – no, better – at controlling it then the Volturi were.

I wondered if they had figured out I knew who they were... or _what_ they were. There were so many slipups and things I had discovered about them in two days that I was amazed no other humans had revealed their secret. But then again my reaction to them this afternoon, especially where I should have been frightened by Edward's expression and the car accident but instead covering up the blood so he wouldn't feel the need to kill me so much... maybe I had exposed myself to them too easily.

I suddenly found myself wishing that I hadn't come here in the first place. Charlie's affection for me made me feel sorry for all those years I had missed with him and all the years I was going to miss when Aro would change me. There was also the chance that the Cullen's would find out I knew about them and kill me so the Volturi would never find out – or the chance that I shed blood once again in their presence would mean public exposure and the chance I could inadvertently be the cause of death for many students at Forks High.

I was more of a danger to others then I was to myself.

Rain started pounding on the window and I sighed. Calling Santi or Jane to whine to them right now sounded like a good idea, but I would honour my own decision of moving here by going through with it and not rethinking it later. With that last ounce of determination, I fell asleep.

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******Your reviews = less aftershocks, k? :D**


	4. Chapter 3

**Once again, I am repeating that I am borrowing the characters and situations, though some of the plot is my own. No plagiarism, peeps.**

**I'll apologize in advance for the cliffy at the end of the chapter *evil smile*.**

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The next morning, I was surprised to see a bright light shining through the gap of my curtains onto the blank wall on the opposite side of the room. I confirmed my suspicions of it being a rare and cloudless blue day by peeking through the curtains.

I groaned when I looked down to the ground and saw a thin layer of ice and frost covering the driveway and the grass. With my luck I would end up in hospital again today – I was pretty sure that my poor head couldn't handle another crash against the concrete. Along with the limited sleep I'd had (Charlie had woke me every two-and-a-half hours, just like the doctor had ordered), it was almost inevitable.

I had argued with Charlie only hours ago on whether I should go to school today, taking into account I was in hospital yesterday, but my persuasion won him over. I promised him I would make my way directly to the school nurse if I felt any signs of nausea or dizziness.

The sunny day cheered me up somewhat, and I took the opportunity to wear a favourite blouse of mine from Paris for the first time here. It was a pretty blue colour, and had ruffles on the edges that made it interesting but not eccentric, and cute white buttons. I paired it with some jeans – it wasn't quite _that_ warm – and set off optimistically to school after having a bowl Cheerio's.

It was when I was making my way to my parking space that the outlook for the day dampened considerably, because the silver Volvo wasn't there. I should have thought of that this morning; with the sun out the Cullen's wouldn't be able to show them-selves.

I grabbed my backpack and half-stomped my way to my locker, my expression warding off Mike – one of Angela's friends who had been more than partial to me over the last couple of days.

My plan to sit with the Cullen's during lunch, or at least talk to them, had gone out the window with the sun, so I exiled myself to sit by Angela again. Really, it wasn't bad though. She was a nice girl who was genuinely interested in Italy and all the experiences I had, and we frequently talked about the assignments and homework we got from Government and English – the two classes we sat together in. She knew when to stop enquiring about something and when I was getting uncomfortable (which was frequently). But importantly, she knew how to make me feel welcome.

Yet I knew the people I most fitted in with were vampires. So today was a waste of time.

Today was the first day in Gym when I had to do any physical activity, and so I finally showed my unfortunate classmates what a clumsy girl I really was. By the end, Mike had a red bump on his forehead that he claimed wasn't painful – on the contrary I had seen him touching it and swearing when he thought I wasn't nearby – and one of the blonde-haired girls that I had pushed onto the ground accidently had gone to the sick bay with a sprained ankle.

The only interesting thing today was a surprise call from Jane at lunch – as if she sensed my emotions all the way in Italy – to ask how I was doing.

"I'm fine," I lied, replying.

"Ha, Isabella. You can't fool me you know." Jane had said. I could just picture her eyebrow arching in an un-approving manner.

"It's really nice here," I commented. That wasn't _entirely_ false.

"I'll take your word for it," she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"So... how's stuff back home?"

"Back home, huh?" She snorted. "So you haven't adapted to your sweet home town just yet then?"

I rolled my eyes. "Charlie's nice enough. He was really caring towards me when I–"

I stopped. He was caring when I had my accident – and Edward saved my life. Edward who was a vampire.

Should I tell Jane about them? Aro would've warned me if he knew I was moving somewhere with a vampire population.

"Yes?" she enquired.

"Err... when he uh... found out about Renee," I improvised.

"Oh, poor man then," Jane laughed. "I can't really emphasise with you humans, though, so I'll just leave those emotions up to you. On another note, when am I allowed to visit?"

I froze. I really didn't want one of the Volturi coming here at the moment. Even though I hardly knew anything about the Cullen's – no, scratch that, I _didn't_ know anything – I still wanted to protect them.

How was I going to find out if Aro knew about the Cullen's? He was much more intelligent than I, so he would be able to sense what I was trying to do within seconds.

"Bella?" Jane's worried voice pierced the silence. "You in la-la land again?"

"Guess what, by the way! I made heaps of friends already, and there's already boys interested in me." I faked enthusiastically, changing the subject.

"Isabella." Jane said in a stern voice. I could just imagine her eyebrows rising, her stoic face impassively looking at me. I sighed. She knew me so well.

"Yeah," I asked innocently.

"You're trying to change the subject." She sang.

"I just thought you'd be exited to –"

"Isabella!" Jane cut me off. "Why don't you want me to come and visit? Were you lying when you said I was your best friend? You said you'd tell me anything and everything!"

She was right. Jane had never betrayed my confidence in her, and I had no reason to not trust her. However, she was a vampire, and as I was so often reminded, I couldn't place my trust in vampires.

I sighed and looked around me, seeming to realise my surroundings. Even though the hall I was in at the moment was empty, I'd hate to think of what would happen to the person who eavesdropped on me as I made conversation with vampires. I spotted the girls bathroom not far away, and made my way in, locking the main door and checking all the cubicles were empty before continuing.

"Okay, Jane, um... Aro would have known if there was danger in the area I was going to, wouldn't he?"

Jane's surprised voice answered, "Oh! I'm not sure, what danger are you talking about? Is it another serial killer? If you need help with –"

"No, no Jane." I cut her off. "I'm talking about... other supernatural beings."

Jane laughed, "Oh my dearest Isabella, have we been watching too much Harry Potter again? _There is no such thing as wizards_!" She quoted.

I ignored her teasing and continued seriously. "I'm talking about other vampires in the area, Jane."

She was silent for a couple of seconds. "Oh! Well, I did hear about this one clan in Alaska..."

"No, I mean like here. In Forks."

"I've never heard of a clan in Washington," she whispered. "I'm coming right down there to get you back. It's too dangerous to be alone! I don't want to lose my best friend!"

"Jane, this clan isn't dangerous." I insisted.

"_Isn't dangerous_ she says!"

"No, I mean it. I uh... got run over by a car yesterday –"

"What!" She shrieked.

"Let me finish Jane!" I shouted into the receiver. "The car was skidding on ice, and Edward, that's uh... one of the clan, he landed on top of me to protect me from it. He saved my life, Jane! How can a vampire be dangerous if he saves my life! Also, I hit my head, and it was bleeding really badly, and even then he didn't give into the smell."

Jane murmured in approval. "They would have to be pretty strong in order to resist _your_ blood, Bella."

I shuddered.

"I should consult Aro about this." She concluded. "I think it would be best for me to ask, Bella. I'll call you back soon, okay?"

I nodded, then realised she wouldn't be able to see my action, so I whispered "yes". I was sure about Jane not doing anything to the Cullen's, but I wasn't so sure about Aro. Even though he was almost a father figure to me, something always felt slightly... off about him.

I carried myself, shaken, back to the lunch table. Angela was the only one of the group who noticed my reappearance, and mouthed "you okay" to me over Eric's head.

I nodded and smiled, and looked once again towards the Cullen's table. I couldn't help but think if what I had just done was the right thing.

Eric , Angela and Mike waited for me to gather myself as we made our way to Biology, leaving me to sit alone. Ignoring the teacher at the front of the room I instead inspected the table where Edward sat, seeing suspicious grooves in the woodwork that looked like a grip and deep fingernail scratches in the solid laminate. If Aro decided to come and investigate the presence of the Cullen's, I feared for their safety. They really weren't doing their best to remain inconspicuous.

My phone finally buzzed the moment the bell rang at the end of school, and I rolled my eyes as I looked at the screen.

"Why didn't you call me earlier, Aro?" I asked.

"Your education is more important than this, Isabella," Aro stated. I was simultaneously relieved and annoyed by the statement.

I waited for him to get on with it.

"I have heard from Jane that there is a clan in your area, but they do not pose any threat, you believe."

I once again stayed silent, for this I knew.

"This clan is the Cullen's, correct?"

I was shocked he knew, although he probably had means of quickly finding out anyway.

"Yes, they are." I answered.

"Well, as it so happens, I know the leader of the clan, Carlisle Cullen. He lived with us for over three decades in the 18th century. I am good friends with him."

So _that's_ why I recognized the name Carlisle, because of all the history Caius and Aro taught me of the Volturi.

"Oh." I said simply.

"Yes. I was not aware that they had moved to Forks, but I see this as an advantage in your situation. You will be safe to befriend them, as I have no worry over any their control."

"Why's that, Aro?"

"Oh, you will see, my child. I must go, Heidi is back. But, in so many words, Isabella, I give you my blessing."

I didn't have time to respond to his cryptic message before the dial tone rang in my ear.

The drive home was confusing and distracting, and I thanked God that no cars met mine on the road. I automatically reached for the keys under the eave of Charlie's house, finding myself in a daze as I made my way up to my room and dumped my bag on the bed.

I couldn't believe that Aro wasn't be concerned over vampires in my area. He was unnaturally detached but at the same time happy for me to talk and interact with the Cullen's. I told myself not to worry about it anymore today as I got onto my English paper on Shakespeare's _Romeo and Juliet_.

The next morning, I was both pleased and distraught at the sight of dark thunderous clouds hanging over the ocean. I chose a warmer outfit then yesterday and had toast with strawberry jam, looking out the kitchen window as drizzling rain started to escape from the clouds. I couldn't stop bouncing my leg up and down – whether it was excitement, nerves, or trepidation, I wouldn't know.

The ride to school was short but dangerous – the ice lining the roads looked deathly but my monster truck handled it surprisingly well. I pulled into the parking lot in my usual place, my heart beating louder as I stepped out of the truck and walked past the Volvo.

I didn't see any of the Cullen's as I made my way to my first class, disappointingly. But I knew they were here, as the car was parked. Should I go sit by them today? My heart started beating faster just by the mere thought of it.

Contrary to the past couple of days, my first four classes passed very slowly. Knowing the Cullen's were close by – but not being able to see them – was torture.

But reality hit when the bell rang for lunch. _This was it_, I told myself. I would get my lunch, and walk that long, straight line to the table that the Cullen's would be sitting at, and kindly ask if I could sit there. _Yes, Bella, that was a great plan. It will work._

Breathing exercises seemed like a good idea as I stood in the lunch line, only getting a soda and an apple as I was feeling slightly nauseous.

Geez, I hang out with over a dozen vampires regularly, and then when they're not around I cower when I want to spend time with only five? Santi and Jane would most certainly be laughing at me now.

It seemed to take forever to walk to the table, my talk with Aro coming to mind. He had said that it was fine to become friends with them – that I could trust them, that everything would be fine. I wouldn't have to worry about their control. I debated about whether to tell them I knew Aro ... just for protection. But the Cullen's hadn't harmed me so far – hell, Edward had saved my life!

I sucked in one deep breath as I stood in front of five politely inquiring pale faces staring up at me.

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**Please have a look at this story of mine on Fiction Press:  
www(.)fictionpress(.)com/s/2851938/1/Memories_are_Made_of_This  
I would really appreciate any feedback (good and bad) as I am handing it in as part of my Creative Writing assignment. Thanks xx**

**Reviews make everybody smile – you have the gratification of giving an immaterial reward, and it only costs you half a minute :) I have the pleasure of reading and replying to each of them.**


	5. Chapter 4

**A million apologies to everybody who has this on their alert list, I bet that you guys don't even remember what the story was about anymore, do you? A brief summary: Bella used to live in Italy with Renee, and due to a vampire attack Renee was killed and Bella was saved by the Volturi. She thinks of them as family. She came to live with Charlie and was shocked when she found vampires in Forks – the Cullen's. She was nearly run over by a van which Edward saved her from, and has had a talk with Jane and Aro about the Cullen's, and received Aro's "blessing". Did that refresh your minds? Well, onto this chapter then :)**

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I chewed hard on my bottom lip as five kind faces stared up at me, waiting for a reason for my being here.

"Umm... Hi. I was wondering whether I could sit here?" My teeth grinded together in trepidation of their answer, and I made a comically large and audible gulp.

My eyes were rested on Edward, but it was Alice who answered. "Of course!" She chirped, her smile as wide as the world. "Here," she made space next to her and patted the seat, so I would be conveniently seated between her and Edward. I sat down as she introduced everyone.

I chanced a look at Edward – his expression was as curious and mystified as ever.

"So... Bella?" Alice started.

I turned to look back at her. "Yeah?" I smiled hesitantly.

"Where are you from?" I fought the urge to groan and roll my eyes. This would only be the three-hundredth time in a week I would have to answer that question.

"I was born here, in Forks, but my mom left my dad when I was young, and we moved around the states till we... we –"

Shit! I stuttered and cut off and stared down at my tray with soda I was crushing with my hands. What would happen if I told them I was from Italy? If I was from Volterra? I suspected they knew something was odd about me already...

Oh – but Mr. Banner had already blurted about my schooling in Italy to the whole Biology class. Vampires could remember everything. So Edward knew I was from Italy.

It wouldn't do any harm now anyways.

"We, um... moved to Italy. And Renee – err... my mom, passed away a couple of weeks ago, so I got sent back here to live with my dad." I stumbled around and blushed as I finished, looking back at Alice with what I hoped was a convincing enough smile.

She nodded sympathetically. "I'm so sorry to hear about your mom..." she trailed off, slowly raising her hand, seeming to internally argue with herself as she finally rested it on my shoulder, awkwardly patting me.

I smiled and looked down. It was silent at the table for a minute before she deemed it was safe to carry on.

"So... Italy, huh? That must be pretty different from the good old US of A?"

I nodded. "Yeah," I smiled genuinely, still looking down at my soda. My eyes got watery as I recounted what I had left behind. "Life there was pretty good. And my... friends... were really supportive, and caring, and understanding... like family."

In my peripheral, I saw Alice quickly glance at Edward before resuming her gaze on me. A movement so fast it would have not been picked up by anyone who wasn't trained to look for it.

I bit down on my tongue and gathered the courage up to ask Alice a question back.

"Where are you guys from?"

She looked taken aback for a moment before she neutralised her expression.

"I don't know if anyone's told you, but were all adopted from different families. Carlisle was very good to us."

"I know. Jessica told me." Alice knew that Jessica had told me, too. She had super hearing, but I suppose for show she would have to mention that she had no idea. Avoiding telling the humans about something so central to your being would be hard to do, and that was something I was certainly not looking forward to when I would become a vampire.

"Well, I'm from Biloxi... that's in Mississippi," she added on, "my parents were admitted to a mental facility shortly after I was born. I don't remember them."

I almost felt sorry for her – if it wasn't for the overacting. Looking down, biting her lip and fluttering her eyes wasn't fooling me. I sympathised with her anyway, for show really.

"If you don't mind... Emmett?" I asked carefully.

"Tennessee. I was kind of forced to work on the railroads when I was younger. My father left us, and my mother... she committed suicide shortly after." Emmett looked up at me with doe eyes, almost begging me to believe him.

These guys really needed better acting skills.

"My father passed away fightin' in the war," Jasper drawled, twirling a pen around in his finger while holding Alice's hand. "I neva knew my mother, really only ever lived with my late grandmother."

Jasper's story was more believable. I found a strange urge to hug him as he started at the brick walls with a painful expression.

Rosalie sat next to Jasper, looking off in the opposite direction to everybody else. Her jugular vein extended beautifully down her elongated neck, the unnatural light of the cafeteria hitting it perfectly. I really wanted to get my camera out.

"Rosalie?" I prompted.

She pursued her lips but never looked away as she talked. "I was born in Rochester. My parents were murdered by colleagues of my father," she turned to me. "The world is so incredibly... greedy, you see. They were after our money."

I couldn't help but agree with her assessment of the world.

And lastly, I turned to the mysterious member of the Cullen clan. This story I was eager to hear.

"I'm from Chicago. My parents were victim to the influenza pandemic."

And that was it. Incredibly unemotional delivery, too.

So... did I really look that stupid to him? Influenza, really? If he was human, he would have either had to be barely one year of age or around fourty for that his parents to die in an influenza pandemic. I kept my smart mouth shut though. Well, were his parents alive in the early 1900's? I looked up at Edward with a contemplating look. He had the right to look a little scared.

"Bella?" Alice called me back to full attention. "So, I've heard that you are taking a lot of AP classes?"

I nodded, blushing again.

"Wow, so you're pretty smart then." Alice smiled at me.

I laughed down my nose and looked down. I was as smart as a piece of cardboard next to these geniuses.

"So... your friends back in Italy? Were you sad to leave them?"

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes at the question. She was obviously trying to find out if I knew about vampires, and while I was scared shitless that they suspected me, it was somewhat thrilling that I had the possibility to actually tell them I knew what they were. And then all the human barriers would go down. That would be nice.

"Bella?" Alice asked me.

"Oh, sorry. Um... of course it was sad to just have to leave them there, because I had known them for so long, and I'll miss the shopping trips and the holidays and the good times. But hopefully this whole high school business will go quickly and then I'll say goodbye to Charlie," _forever_, I added in my mind, "and go back to Italy."

"Oh, wow. So you'll only be here for about a year and a half, then?" Alice stated, perfect eyebrows raised.

I nodded. A year and a half and I would be eternal forever. And I wasn't too saddened by that prospect. A lifetime would not be enough on this planet.

"And then to university in Florence." I smiled. Well, it wasn't a complete lie. I would go there after ten years or so after I got my blood thirst under control.

"What are you thinking of studying?" Edward asked.

Surprised, I suddenly looked at Edward. "I... I – was thinking about Art History. I quite like painting..." I stuttered, trailing off. It was a miracle I even formed a sentence. Edwards beautiful golden eyes seemed like they were staring at my bared soul, and I got captured in the intensity of his gaze. I was vaguely aware of my mouth dropping open slightly. I heard someone get up at the table, making a lot of noise to do so, but didn't turn to look till Edward got up too. Looking around, I saw nearly everyone in the cafeteria had left for class.

"Hey, Edward, Bella," Alice chirped after dumping her tray quickly, "you guys should walk together to class, you both have Biology, right?"

I saw Edward glance at her and raise both of his eyebrows ever so slightly. I wished I was able to read his mind. He gave in however, starting to walk and inviting me with a quick turn of his head.

I was still focused on the thrill of our names being said together.

Nothing was said, but it was a comfortable silence. I felt great just walking next to him. I smiled as I hugged my books to my chest tightly.

I couldn't wait to know Edward a little better, 'cause I just had to admit to myself that I had a crush on this vampire.

The next month or so passed quickly, and I hung out with the Cullen's more and more. During classes, at lunch... but never after school. Never would they offer any information outside of their human facade, and never would I say that I knew they were vampires, or that I knew they existed at all. It was a comfortable but tense relationship.

The might have all the time on earth to find out what I was (I was sure they suspected), but the sand in my hourglass was running out quickly. I knew I would regret it if I never broke the invisible barrier between us.

The consequences may be that they wouldn't like me knowing. Well... I suppose they would just have to hush me up somehow. I wasn't going back to Italy for their convenience.

"Jane... do you think it would be dangerous –"

"Of course Isabella! What vampire would be delighted to know they have been found out by a human?"

I had asked Jane advice on what I should do on one of our many phone calls.

"Well... I suppose not. What would you do if a human found out about you?"

"Kill them," she said in a cold voice, with no hesitation. I got goose-bumps as I thought of all the innocent humans that had been murdered by people I considered to be my family.

"So... if I were to tell them," Jane hissed, "how would I go about it?"

"Why are you asking my advice? It's not like I've ever been in this situation."

"Who else would I ask? Felix?" I scoffed.

Jane remained silent on the other end. I took that as a yes.

"Aw, come on, Jane! Felix?

"Well, why not, Bella? He could tell you what not to do."

I stayed silent, huffing.

Felix had come to Volterra in the 16th century, continuing his family's tradition of discovering and lynching vampires.

"Well, when I approached Aro, Cauis, and Marcus when I was still human, I thought I could physically challenge them if it came to anything, you know, with my muscle," he laughed, "how wrong I was. I just confronted them straight on, and well... you know how well that turned out."

"Aro turned you," I answered.

"Yes, and only because he knew I would have a talent. Otherwise I would have been food."

"Right." I said, contemplating.

"So why do you ask, Isabella?"

I repeated my story carefully to Felix. A couple of minutes later and a dark, heavy voice was laughing at me down the phone.

"You really want all the vampires in the world to know about you, don't you? Do you know how stupid you are being? Fraternizing with a coven? You could be killed! You should have already been killed!"

"Felix!" I interrupted him. "Just listen! Aro said they weren't dangerous, that I would be fine befriending them."

"That doesn't mean you should become best pals! Don't do anything, okay? I don't want this to be the last time I talk to you."

Felix was trying to guilt-trip me, and it was working. I hung up the phone promising that I wouldn't do anything, but as soon as I looked outside through my bedroom window, I knew I had to do something. This was one opportunity I would not miss. I had to risk everything to tell them, to see how they would react. Otherwise what would I do in this shitty little town for the rest of my time? I couldn't live without my vampires.

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**I have created a new blog which has all of my stories on it, the web address is vallievalval(.)blogspot(.)com. Check it out and subscribe if you like!**

**Has everyone seen the new Honeymoon photo that has been released recently from Breaking Dawn Part 1? It's very beautiful, very intimate. Cannot wait for the movie. November is too far away! Here is the link (make sure you take out the brackets):  
www(.)twilightlexicon(.)com(/)2011(/)01(/)12(/)new-breaking-dawn-photo-bella-and-edwards-honeymoon-in-bed**

**Thanks for reading!**


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